THE CLYDE COMMONAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2506, 2 April 1902, Page 14

THE CLYDE COMMONAGE.

A MEETING OF 3ETTLEES. A ■well-attended meeting of residents of Clyde |nd of settlers of the surrounding districts took place -in the Town. Hall, Clyde, on Saturday livening, 22nd. Tho meeting was convened for the purpose of taking into consideration the action of the Land Board in suggesting to Government to repeal the " Proclamation of the 'Clyde Commonage." 3lr Robert Gilkison was voted to' the chair. Mr Fache, convener of the meeting, said his tobject in calling the residents of the district together was to secure an expression of opinion aa to whether the bes' interests 'of the district ■Would be served by the revocation of. the proclamation of the commonage. His action was tmrely in the interests of the district, as he thought the commonage should be allowed to leniaio. m at present rather than have the pro-

ciamaiiofl repealed and the lands let under pastoral license. The Land Boaid was obviously averse to granting small areas under any fixed tenure over the commonage. Several applicants had been lefused the acreage applied for under occupation license, and where 100 acres had been applied' for only some 50 acre 3 were granted. One settler who made application for 50 acres \inder the Mining Districts Lands Occupation Act leceived a grant of eight acres. The titles given in every°ease were what is termed "yearly grazing rights. He (Mr Fache) had communicated with the board relative to the matter, and received a reply from the secretary to the effect that the board had suggested io the Government the revocation of the proclamation, and that the beard decided to deal with the land vmder pastoral lease. It remained for the meeting to express an opinion for or against the intention of the Land Board's action in suggesting to the Crown the resumption of llii* Luxd thai.

il might be dealt with under pastoral license, and thus become absorbed m some one of the many huge slieep walks which adjoined it. He asked why not allow the land to be taken lip by intending settlers, since only by settlement upon the land can we hope for any future permanency of our industrial standing . The Chairman agreed with much, that Mr Fache had said, but personally he had a desire that the commonage might remain as a-t present. He would certainly be against having the proclamation cancelled. The land could be surveyed into suitable areas for the purpose ot encouraging close settlement. This could be done without interfering -with the proclamation m the meantime. Mr Naylor considered the land suitable for close settlement. The district did not display the interest it should in matters affecting the crrnmouage. 'ihrough indifference to matters affecting the administration of those lands the ics^denta el the, di&tiict liad allowed a.

large portion of the commonage to be taken up under pastoral license. It would certainly appear as if the Land Board intended a repetition of this thing. The people should stand shoulder to shoulder in asserting their rights, and in no perfunctory spirit give the Land Board to understand that the residents desired this land for close settlement. He protested strongly against any intention to have it let under pastoral license. Mt Hewitt thought that the board would accede to any reasonable request respecting the manner of disposing of the land. Mr Eyan moved — " That this meeting appoint a committee of gentlemen willing to act as trustees oi the commonage, and that it bo a request from this meeting that the proclamation be not revoked. Mr Hewitt seconded the motion. The question of cost of administering the lands v.-as gone into, v/hen it was elicited from some person present that the revenue for the past year amounted to £7, the cost of keeping the rabbits in chock being between £600 and £700. Mr Naylor thought lhat unless trustees were appointed to tak3 over the commonage the pioclamation would be revoked on the grounds of waste of public money. Mr Sheehy moved as an amendment — " That tri2 proclamation be revoked, and that the Land Board be requested to have the land surveyed into areas of not more than 400 acres, and that these be leased for agricultural purposes." Mr Robertson seconded the amendment. After some discussion, Mr Sheehy was prevailed upon to alter his amendment by erasing the words directing the revocation of the proclamation, when the amendment, on being put to the meeting, was declared carried. Some eight or 10 names of persons who were willing to take up land on the commonage were handed to the chairman, and the convener was requested to forward them, together with the resolution passed, to Ihe Otago Land Board. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.